Google Makes Major Chromebook Push for Back to School Season

In its ever escalating effort to unseat Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Mac OS as the default operating systems for consumers, Google will bring its partner created stable of Chromebooks to more retailers soon.

According to a post on the Google Chrome Blog, the company will bring the line of notebooks running its Chrome OS operating system to around 6,000 stores in time for the Back to School shopping season – the time many students, particularly those in college, purchase machines.

As of today, the Acer Chromebook C7 will make its way to nearly 3,000 Walmart stores across the United States. It’s the Acer Chromebook that hits the company’s goal of selling the operating system on cheap hardware. It costs $199, though it really shouldn’t be compared to mid-range laptops and desktops. Its niche is best described as filling the void left by the demise of netbooks.

Additionally, Chromebooks from Samsung, Acer and HP will make their debut at all Staples locations in the United States. The company will also roll out Chromebooks to other retailers in the “coming months” including Office Depot, OfficeMax, Fry’s and TigerDirect.

Potential buyers in the United Kingdom will be able to pick up the device at local Tesco stores. Those in the Netherlands can look forward to seeing the device in their local Media Markt and Saturn Stores. Chromebooks will also be available for sale at FNAC in France, Elgiganten in Sweden and JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman in Australia.

Chrome OS and the Chromebooks it runs on are designed to present users with a Google and cloud-centric focus on computing. Instead of including large amounts of storage inside each machine, Chrome OS users are encouraged to depend on the company’s cloud solutions for storing media.

Additionally the company places an emphasis on web applications instead of the traditional local software design that Apple and Microsoft focus on providing. While that does result in lower costs and easier compatibility, some tasks like video editing aren’t suited for these machines. Users can use many apps offline, but the Chromebook will work best with an internet connection.

In addition to low-end devices from its partners, Google launched its own high-end Chromebook Pixel device earlier this year. That device includes a touchscreen and a body styling that’s not altogether different from the Macbook Pro.